If you're looking for the score of the most recent UNC vs Duke battle, you're likely thinking of the absolute gauntlet that was the 2024-25 season. As of right now, January 17, 2026, we are actually sitting in the calm before the storm. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils haven't tipped off against each other yet for the 2025-26 campaign.
Kinda wild, right? We're deep into January and the biggest rivalry in sports hasn't had its first chapter this year.
But if you are asking who won the unc duke basketball game most recently, the answer belongs to the Duke Blue Devils. They didn't just win; they swept the floor in 2025. Duke took all three meetings last season, including a dominant 87-70 win in Durham, an 82-69 victory in Chapel Hill, and a heart-stopping 74-71 win in the ACC Tournament.
The Last Time They Met: Duke’s 2025 Triple Crown
The most recent official meeting took place on March 14, 2025, during the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. Duke won 74-71.
Honestly, that game was a rollercoaster. Duke jumped out to a massive lead—at one point they were up by 24 points. Everyone in the building thought it was over. But then North Carolina did that thing they do. They clawed back, bucket by bucket, until it was a one-possession game in the final seconds.
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Ven-Allen Lubin had a look at a three-pointer to tie it as the buzzer sounded. It felt like the ball was in the air for an hour. It clanked off the rim, and Duke survived.
Duke played that game without Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown, who were both sidelined with injuries from the quarterfinals. That’s probably the most impressive part of that specific win for Jon Scheyer’s squad. Kon Knueppel stepped up in a massive way, put up 17 points, and basically willed the Blue Devils to the finals.
Why Duke Dominated the 2024-25 Series
- Freshman Firepower: Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel were a nightmare pairing. In the February meeting, they combined for 43 points.
- The Scoring Runs: Duke had a knack for "The Avalanche." In their 87-70 win, they went on a 16-0 run in the first few minutes. You can't give a team that talented a 16-point head start and expect to survive.
- Defensive Identity: Down the stretch in the March 8 game, UNC missed 22 of their last 27 shots. Duke’s length on the perimeter basically turned the lights out on the Tar Heels' offense.
The 2026 Schedule: When Do They Play Next?
Since today is January 17, 2026, you’ve probably noticed the buzz is starting to build again. We are exactly three weeks away from the first meeting of the current season.
Mark your calendars for these dates:
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- Saturday, February 7, 2026: Duke at North Carolina (Chapel Hill, 6:30 PM ET).
- Saturday, March 7, 2026: North Carolina at Duke (Durham, 6:30 PM ET).
Right now, both teams are navigating the new-look ACC. Duke is currently sitting on a 16-1 record after a win against California earlier this week. They're playing Stanford tonight. UNC has had a bit more of a rocky road, recently dropping a close one to Stanford, but they’re still a top-tier threat because, well, it’s Carolina.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Rivalry
People think the home-court advantage is everything in this game. It's actually not.
If you look at the history, especially over the last decade, the "away" team wins a surprising amount of the time. Last year, Duke walked into the Dean Smith Center and took the regular-season finale 82-69. The year before that, UNC went into Cameron Indoor and ruined Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game.
Logic doesn't live here.
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There's also this idea that the higher-ranked team usually wins. Nope. In the 265 meetings between these two, the lower-ranked (or unranked) team has pulled the upset so often it’s basically a tradition.
Actionable Steps for the 2026 Matchup
If you're planning on watching or betting on the February 7 game, keep an eye on these specific factors:
- Injury Reports: Duke’s depth is great, but as we saw in the ACC Tournament last year, missing a guy like Flagg makes them vulnerable to a comeback.
- The Three-Point Line: Last year’s Duke sweep was fueled by shooting nearly 50% from deep in some stretches. If UNC can run them off the line, the game changes.
- Watch the First 5 Minutes: Duke has a habit of trying to end the game before the first media timeout. If UNC survives the initial "punch," they usually stay competitive until the end.
Check the ESPN or ACC Network listings as the February 7 date approaches to catch the live broadcast from Chapel Hill.